Billy Koch, baseball player, 1999-2004

Billy Koch

Born: 12/14/1974 in Rockville Centre, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1999-05-05 | Final Game: 2004-08-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 218 lbs

Full name: William Christopher Koch

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Billy Koch, born in 1974, was a professional baseball pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1999 to 2004. Over the course of his career, Koch recorded a win-loss record of 29-25 and posted an earned run average (ERA) of 3.89. Known for his powerful arm and ability to close games, he accumulated a remarkable 163 saves and struck out 357 batters, showcasing his effectiveness as a relief pitcher. Koch's career spanned a transformative era in baseball, where the role of the closer became increasingly vital to a team's success. He played for several teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, where he first made his mark, demonstrating a blend of velocity and precision that made him a formidable opponent. His contributions to the game and his ability to perform under pressure solidified his place in baseball history, and he remains a noteworthy figure among pitchers of his generation.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
29 25 379 0 0 0 163 407.3 379 176 41 191 357 3.89 0

Career ERA 3.89 vs. league average 4.51 across their career seasons — 13.7% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1999 TOR AL 0 5 56 0 0 0 31 63.7 55 24 30 57 3.39 4.71 (+28%) 1272.5
2000 TOR AL 9 3 68 0 0 0 33 78.7 78 23 18 60 2.63 4.77 (+45%) 2811.0
2001 TOR AL 2 5 69 0 0 0 36 69.3 69 37 33 55 4.80 4.42 (-9%) -79.2
2002 OAK AL 11 4 84 0 0 0 44 93.7 73 34 46 93 3.27 4.28 (+24%) 1739.5
2003 CHW AL 5 5 55 0 0 0 11 53.0 59 34 28 42 5.77 4.40 (-31%) -
2004 CHW AL 1 1 24 0 0 0 8 23.3 24 14 16 25 5.40 4.46 (-21%) -
2004 MIA NL 1 2 23 0 0 0 0 25.7 21 10 20 25 3.51 4.46 (+21%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
379 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .000 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .427 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.000 vs. league average 0.764 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1999 TOR AL 56 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2000 TOR AL 68 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2001 TOR AL 69 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2002 OAK AL 84 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2003 CHW AL 55 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2004 CHW AL 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2004 MIA NL 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2002 ALDS2 OAK 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 3 0 1 3.0 5 3 2 3 9.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2002 ALDS2 OAK 0 0 3 0 1 3.0 5 3 2 3 9.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 379 0 35 43 2 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1999 TOR P 56 0 3 12 0 0
2000 TOR P 68 0 5 8 0 2
2001 TOR P 69 0 4 6 1 1
2002 OAK P 84 0 14 12 0 2
2003 CHA P 55 0 6 3 0 0
2004 CHA P 24 0 1 1 1 0
2004 FLO P 23 0 2 1 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 379

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2002 Reliever of the Year Award
2002 TSN Reliever of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2004 CHA AL $6,375,000
2003 CHA AL $4,250,000
2002 OAK AL $2,433,333
2001 TOR AL $733,333
2000 TOR AL $333,333
1999 TOR AL $200,000
Total Career Earnings $14,324,999

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Clemson University Clemson SC 1994, 1995, 1996

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2002 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 8.0 392 0
1999 Rookie of the Year AL 7th 4.0 140 0